Shore Lore: Cape Cod's patriot days

When it comes to the American Revolution, Boston and Philadelphia are often the first places that come to mind.

But the well-known Colonial catch phrase “No taxation without representation” was coined by a Cape Codder.

Those words were uttered by none other than West Barnstable-born James Otis Jr., according to Cape historian Jim Coogan of Sandwich, who will be presenting a talk, “The American Revolution on Cape Cod,” for the Harwich Historical Society this Sunday.

Coogan, a retired history teacher who has authored several books about the Cape’s bygone days, will talk about the situation of the Colonies from the end of French and Indians War in 1763, and the change of leadership in England, which was followed by King George III’s changes in policies toward the Colonies.

“Cape Codders were very, very proud to be English,” Coogan said. “Between 1763 and 1774, the tide of change had been very strong. As in many cases, the people who probably should have known better overplayed their hand, and the reaction of the Colonies was understandable, having had 150 years of relative independence, and then being reigned in by Parliament and the king.”

According to Coogan, most Cape Codders were politically uncommitted, mixed with groups of Tories (loyalists to the British crown) and radical patriots.

During his teaching days, Coogan often used a cartoon, “The Wise Men of Gotham and Their Goose,” to show how the crown’s policies toward the Colonies changed.

“It shows the British all gathered around a very plump looking goose, and that was the goose that would lay the golden eggs,” Coogan said.

“It was a great goose for the British, and they decided that they would kill it to see if they could get inside and get all the eggs. That was what they did to the Colonies; by their actions and their unwillingness to allow even a token representation in Parliament. It drove that middle group, that neutral group, eventually into the patriot camp,” he explained.

It was in 1761 that Otis spoke out against the British search warrants, which were called the “writs of assistance.” Otis made a speech condemning the British for essentially allowing a search and seizure without any kind of due process.

In September 1774, “a group called the ‘Body of the People’ (about 1,000 people) came to the courthouse in Barnstable Village and shut it down,” Coogan said. This was followed by another courthouse shutdown in Plymouth three weeks later.

By 1776, all Cape towns, except for Barnstable, supported the idea of independence for the Colonies.

“Barnstable had a lot of Tories, and prominent among them was Edward Bacon, who was a [well known] attorney in Barnstable Village,” Coogan noted. “The moderator for the Town Meeting, Nymphas Marston, was also a Tory. They rammed through a resolution of support for the crown. They rejected the instructions to endorse the Declaration.”

By the time the war ended in 1783, Cape Cod found itself in a destitute state.

“Independence wasn’t something that anyone knew what to do with,” Coogan noted. “A lot of the foreign trade arrangements were negated. It was a rough go. The Cape started to do well again, but then came the war of 1812 — another disaster for the Cape. That was a tough period for people who lived here.”

Don Wilding is a writer, film producer, and public speaker on Cape Cod lore. He can be reached via email at donwilding@gmail.com. Shore Lore appears weekly during the summer season.

If You Go

What: ‘The American Revolution on Cape Cod’ Historian and author Jim Coogan looks at the Cape’s experience during the Revolution. Includes a performance of music from the era by a group of musicians led by Elizabeth Moisan.